NOT HERE BUT RISEN

Socrates the famous Greek philosopher drank poison and laid down to die. His friends asked him, “Shall we live again?” Socrates replied, “I hope so, but no man can know.” Are you like Socrates? You hope to live again, but you are not sure? Most people when asked would say that they are not good enough for heaven and will probably be found in hell when they die. During Qing Ming recently, I saw someone religiously burning a small paper car to his departed kin. The Chinese are known to burn paper money and paper goods to their departed loved ones who they believe are now in hell.

As Christians, we know for sure that we will be in heaven when we die. Our faith is not a “hope so” but a “know so” faith. How can we be so sure? It is all because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all because Jesus died for our sins on the cross according to the Scriptures, was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead according to the Scriptures (1 Cor 15:1-4). 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 states emphatically, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

 We have a sure and certain faith because of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is because He lives, we live. Our Saviour is not dead but alive. He died and rose again. The angels said, “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.” (Luke 24:5-6). That is why every believer can say, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (2 Tim 1:12). Jesus promised, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26).

Is this hard to believe? It is not hard to believe at all if you will humbly submit to what the Bible tells you. The Bible says Jesus rose from the dead, and that is the truth. We know this is the truth because the resurrection was foretold, even before it happened. The angels said to the women, “He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee” (Luke 24:6). The resurrection of Christ was no accident; it was preplanned by God Himself.

Besides all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ’s first advent, the Lord Himself when He was here on earth predicted His impending crucifixion and resurrection on at least four occasions: (1) Matthew 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”; (2) Mark 9:31, “For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.” ; (3) Luke 13:32-33, “And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.”; (4) Mark 10:33-34, “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.”

What Jesus said truly happened. All things concerning Him were fulfilled precisely as predicted. Jesus is true; God’s Word is true. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. The angels at the empty tomb said, “He is not here, but is risen.” “He is not here” not because His body was stolen and hidden by His disciples but because He indeed rose from the dead by the power of God.

At any rate, it was impossible for the body of Jesus to be stolen because the tomb was so heavily guarded by Romans. In Matthew 27:62-66 we are told, “Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.” A Roman watch (guard unit) consisted of four to sixteen soldiers who took turns to guard the tomb round the clock. Thanks to the chief priests and Pharisees, the allegation that Jesus’ body was stolen cannot stand.

Furthermore, after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples no less than ten times showing Himself to be very much alive: (1) to the women on the way home from the empty tomb (Matt 28:9-10), (2) to Mary Magdalene (John 20:14), (3) to the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-33), (4) to Peter (Luke 24:34), (5) to the Apostles without Thomas (Luke 24:36-43), (6) to the Apostles with Thomas (John 20:26-29), (7) to the Seven who were fishing in Galilee (John 21:1-23), (8) to the Apostles with 500 other disciples (1 Cor 15:6), (9) to James (1Cor 15:7), (10) to the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:3-12).

How should you respond to the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? Jesus in no uncertain terms said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26). Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” The Lord Jesus who died for your sins and rose from the dead is telling you today, “Believe and be saved.” May you do so today. JK

 

“Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people,
I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves,
and bring you into the land of Israel” (Ezek 37:12).